Joss Whedon's Post-'Avengers' Project Lineup Includes Marvel's 'SHIELD' Television Series

According to Slashgear, Joss Whedon's rumored Marvel television project will be a series centered around SHIELD, the organization behind The Avengers. Whedon will direct the pilot episode of "SHIELD," as well as handle scripting duties with his brother Jed. Disney-owned ABC will produce and air the show, creating further Cinergy between the House of Mouse and Marvel Comics (which it also owns).

While it is highly doubtful that the series will feature Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, head of SHIELD, one could assume that he may make the occasional appearance on the program, reprising his role from time to time. With rumors (courtesy of Cinema Blend) of "How I Met Your Mother" coming to a close, there is potential for Cobie Smulders to take over leadership duties on the small-screen, reprising her role as Maria Hill, Fury's second-in-command.

Earlier this month, the plot for "Guardians of The Galaxy" was revealed by MTV Geek. "Guardians of The Galaxy" is the beginning of Marvel Studios' "Phase Two" plan to continue the fervor surrounding their cinematic universe. Included in this "Phase Two" initiative are sequels to both "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "Thor", along with "Iron Man 3" and another potential television property in the form of "The Incredible Hulk." Whether Mark Ruffalo would be reprising his role in the television series is anyone's guess, though, since he stole every scene in "The Avengers," one would hope so.

What this could mean, is that during the gear-up for "The Avengers 2," fans could tune in weekly to get a tease of what's in store for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. With Marvel's "Avengers 2" releasing in May of 2015 (according to IGN), giving fans bite-sized amounts of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the rest of the gang is a surefire way to drum up even more excitement through "SHIELD." The only problem with that concept is that all, if not most of the actors associated with "The Avengers" have contracts that state they'll make a certain amount of movies and appearances as those characters. A company like Disney, however; could most likely throw their weight around enough to get Robert Downey Jr. onto the small-screen to promote "The Avengers 2" in a guest spot on "SHIELD." It'd also be exciting to see some of Marvel's more minor characters appear on "SHIELD," characters like Moon Knight or Cloak and Dagger would be interesting to see interpreted for live-action audiences.